


I love you to the moon and back

by Name_Surname



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Cheryl Blossom Needs a Hug, Cute, F/F, Fluff, Panic Attacks, TW implied canon conversion therapy, blood drive, choni, give everybody a hug really, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-05 00:24:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16357076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Name_Surname/pseuds/Name_Surname
Summary: Cheryl does not want her Vixens running around playing nurse for a blood drive so Veronica Lodge can have something good and charitable to write down on her college admissions essays, but faith never seems to go her way does it?***The Vixens run a blood drive and Toni doesn't quiet understand why Cheryl is so uncooperative about it.





	I love you to the moon and back

Cheryl completed the warm-down for Vixens practice and dismissed them from the gymnasium. The girls were sweaty, breathless and flushed in the face, gratefully exited the gym into the locker rooms to cool off. Cheryl watched as they cleared off as she began to pack away the equipment. Toni without instruction helped her girlfriend clear the cones of the gym floor. It had been routine for the last few months that neither girl needed to communicate their request. It did surprise Toni however when she saw Veronica approach her, her gym bag hung loose from her shoulder with a timid Betty at her heels. 

Betty despite being more comfortable around Cheryl than she was a few months ago still felt an uneasy atmosphere when it came to Vixens practice. Cheryl suspected it was from the power imbalance she had but it never stopped her from relishing in it. She was going through her lately with her Serpents Queen title. It made Cheryl roll her eyes without fail each time she adressed herself as such. 

“Veronica.” Cheryl stated, tucking the stretch resistant bands under her arms in order to place her hands on her hips. It wasn’t a conscious choice on Cheryl’s part to make such a bold stance but it did always seem that her interactions with Veronica could be quite contentious at best.

“Cheryl, I was hoping you would let me get the Vixens on board for a blood drive I’m trying to run.” Veronica asked, chipperly. 

“Why are you trying to run a blood drive?” Cheryl asked confused. She eyed up Betty who still stood behind Veronica. 

“Donating blood helps gives extra credit and principal Weatherbee thinks it’s a good idea to help with students that may not be achieving so well in other curricular areas. We’d need the Vixens to volunteer in setting up and helping the nurses” Veronica stated. 

“How is donating blood worthy of extra credit?” Cheryl asked, Betty went to answer. “It’s no matter. I don’t want my Vixens tired and faint when the Bulldogs are in the final next month. Sorry V. You’ll have to find your help elsewhere.”

Betty gave Veronica an I told you so look before turning around. Veronica let out a sigh before folding her arms over her front.

“Come on, Cheryl. There are so many people in this town that survive of donations daily. Namely those in the Serpents.” Veronica pleaded. “Look I wouldn’t come to you unless I’ve exhausted all available options.”

“What’s this all about?” Toni asked, dropping the stack of cones she was collecting next to Cheryl’s feet. 

“Veronica is looking for our charity.” Cheryl grumbled, bored with the entire exchange. 

“I’m looking for help off the Vixens in setting up a blood drive for Riverdale General.” Veronica interjected, forcefully.

“We should so do that babe. Riverdale General is always short on donations. My grandpa was waiting on list for like four months for a blood transfusion.”

“Your grandpa needed a blood transfusion?” Cheryl asked surprised. They seldom ever talk about Toni’s family. 

“I mean he’s fine now, asides from a nasty smoking habit, but when we were waiting it was pretty scary.”

“So, have you changed your mind on letting the vixens help?” Veronica asked, with a hopeful smile. 

“I’ll think about it.” Cheryl grunted before lifting up the cones to lock away in the supply closet. 

***

“This is stupid.” Cheryl commented, as she stole a cookie from the plate. She normally had a rule against eating food when she was in her vixens uniform but apparently rules didn’t matter because she was watching her Vixen's run around and play nurse. 

“I don’t think it’s stupid. We’ve got a big turnout and principal Weatherbee is impressed that the squad volunteered. Think of it as our good deed.” Toni encouraged with a smile. She always got amused when Cheryl got grumpy, at least when she wasn’t grumpy with her. 

“Yeah well, I hope they don’t expect me to carry bags of blood from here to the coolers.” Cheryl shuddered. She reached out for another cookie. 

“You have to donate blood to get a cookie.” Veronica scolded, knocking the cookie from Cheryl’s hand. 

Cheryl growled at her. “Don’t push it Lodge,” she warned.   
“You have to donate Cheryl. As captain of the River Vixens you have to lead by example.” Veronica informed her, matter-of-factly.

“I don’t have to do anything, I’m Cheryl Bombshell, remember. Now move along.” Cheryl shooed her away.

“You really aren’t going to donate?” Toni asked her with a frown. 

Cheryl averted her gaze. Toni was not going to guilt her into this. She spotted Fangs and Sweet Pea leaving the nurses and excitedly going to the snacks table, clinking their juice boxes whilst the poor Freshman manning it tried to stop them from pocketing all the cookies. 

“I had a cold last week. It’s not fully out of my system. It’d be irresponsible to donate.” Cheryl lied. Toni knew it was a lie too. They spend nearly every waking second together, she would have known if Cheryl was sick because she would have more than likely been sick too. 

“Okay Bombshell. I’ll be right back.” Toni informed her with a sigh and a hand squeeze. Cheryl watched her as she joined the queue. 

She wrapped her arms around her front, protectively. She didn’t like the idea that Toni was disappointed with her. She kicked her shoe off the floor, inspecting the small grey scuff on the toe. She listened to the giddy giggles of girls next to her collecting their cookie, claiming ‘it didn’t hurt at all’. 

Cheryl let out a small shaky breath before joining Toni in the line. She ignored the small complaints of those she skipped. “You changed your mind?” Toni asked, with a small smile on her face.

“Yeah, I mean it’s no big deal.” Cheryl shrugged, she reached out to find Toni’s hand and intertwined her fingers between them. 

A little bit of her deep down thought that maybe it might be.

Toni thought it maybe might be too because Cheryl hadn’t said a word since joining her in the line and she was starring very intently at the floor. Toni squeezed her hand to let her know she was there. 

Toni went to the nurse before Cheryl. Cheryl had told her to go first. Toni gave her a small smile before she went behind the small cardboard divider.   
Cheryl wasn’t waiting long before she was called up by a different nurse. They took the detail sheet off her and left it beside them. He skimmed over it

“Hi Cheryl.” He said with a smile. “Is this your first time donating blood?” He asked as he changed his plastic gloves before sifting through the small drawer that was set up next to him. 

“Yeah.” Cheryl said almost hesitantly. 

“There’s no need to worry.” He assured her. “It’ll feel a bit like a pinch and you might feel a bit faint.”

“Okay.” Cheryl said. 

She watched as the nurse tore open a sterilised needle point from its plastic wrapping. She felt herself stiffen a bit. It wasn’t very long but all Cheryl could focus on was the point. How it catches the light. How sharp it was. How it was going to pierce into her. 

He attached the blood bag to the end of the needle point. 

“Hey, there’s no need to worry.” He assured her, sensing her panic. “It’ll only take a few minutes.”

“I’m not worried.” Cheryl squeaked. She tried to stiffen herself to stop the tremors in her arm. 

The nurse tied a string around her forearm, waiting for the veins to pop up. He felt her pulse first and frowned at her. “Cheryl, I can assure you this won’t hurt too bad.”

“I’m fine.” Cheryl laughed, trying to will away her nerves. 

The nurse frowned but pierced in the tip of the needle. 

Cheryl felt her other arms shake uncontrollably. She sat down on her hand, praying for it to stop. 

The room felt like it was folding in on itself. Her breath felt laboured and she had an urge to get up from the seat. When she went to look up at the friendly nurse what she saw instead was the old weather face of Sister Woodhouse. Quickly she looked down to her arm and instead of the small IV needle was the large as fingers injection. Her heart dropped and the only thing she focus on was the tip of the needle. She could feel her heart pounding through her chest. A strangled noise escaped her lips.   
“Cheryl?” Sister Woodhouse said. Her voice didn’t sound like it did before. It was mangled and distorted. It felt like her ears were stuffed with cotton and she found that she couldn’t hear the hustle and bustle of the Vixens around her anymore. She felt a hand grasp on her wrist and she let out an almighty screech. 

***  
“And you’re done.” The doctor told Toni as she fastened her band-aid down to her elbow. Toni looked down and smirked at the tiger band-aid. “Yeah, I don’t like the regular bandaids.” The doctor shrugged as she finished off some paperwork for Toni. “Now you might feel a bit faint for the next few hours, so take it easy and get some sugar into you.” She advised. 

Toni nodded and scooted herself to the end of the chair. All heads turned suddenly when a loud scream erupted from the screened off corner next to Toni. The doctor furrowed her brow as she stood up from her seat to investigate the source of the noise. 

Toni immediately panicked recognising the source of the sound. She shot up out of her seat and faltered a bit on her feet feeling a bit dizzy from the speed to which she rose to her feet. 

“I think she’s having a panic attack.” The nurse Cheryl was with informed the doctor that was with Toni. The doctor made a noise in agreement. 

“Cheryl!” Toni called moving towards the group. There was eyes around her from all the other volunteers. 

Cheryl sat there with her knees bent towards her and her hands gripping to the paper covering protecting the chair. Her eyes were clamped shut tightly and she was biting down on her lips. Her breathing was irregular and she was trembling slightly. Toni felt her heart go out to her. Cheryl hadn’t had a panic attack in so long, it felt like they were making progress on them. Toni had to remind herself that this isn’t something that Cheryl might ever get over. 

“Do you know her?” The nurse asked Toni.

Toni nodded. “Can I move her to somewhere quieter?” Toni asked. She didn’t really care what their answer was, she had the most experience in dealing with Cheryl when she was in this state. 

The nurse put a hand on Cheryl, to try and get her attention. Cheryl whimpered and moved away from him. “Cheryl, your friend is here. She’s going to move you to somewhere quieter.” He informed her, Cheryl didn’t make any acknowledgment that she heard or understood what the nurse had told her.   
“Cheryl, it’s me Toni. Come on, let’s go somewhere else.” Toni said, whispering in Cheryl’s ear. 

Cheryl opened her eyes and peaked over at Toni. She gave a small nod and followed Toni out of the nurses quarters towards a secluded classroom. Cheryl’s hair acted as a curtain, shielding her face from the eyes that followed the couple as they walked down the corridor. 

Toni pulled the small curtain above the square window in the classroom to give Cheryl some privacy. Not that anyone would dare follow them this far down the corridor. 

Cheryl sat on the floor below the whiteboard. Toni sat down beside her, careful to give Cheryl some space. Toni had found that she didn’t alway like being touched when she was having a panic attack. 

“Remember your breathing, Cher.” Toni encouraged and Cheryl tried her best to even out her rackety breaths.

This went on for the guts of two minutes and Toni felt as helpless as she always does. It hurts to watch her so pained and scared and there was nothing Toni could do to remedy them other than sit with her until the passed. 

“I’m sorry.” Cheryl whispered, her voice a little horse. Toni imagined the loud scream she gave earlier may be the culprit of that. 

“What are you sorry for?” Toni asked confused. She laced her fingers between Cheryl’s and brought them close to her lips, kissing Cheryl’s hand. 

“I’m too messed up to even give blood.” Cheryl shrugged, her eyes never met Toni’s as she examined the fabric of her Vixens uniform.

“Don’t say that.” Toni told her, sternly. “You aren’t messed up. I’m sorry if you felt pressured to give blood, I never would have even suggested it if I thought it might trigger you.” Toni apolised. 

“I felt like I was back there, Tee-Tee.” Cheryl mumbled, she moved closer to Toni so she could rest her head on the short girls shoulder. 

Toni moved her arm to accommodate Cheryl, she ran her fingers through the ginger locks. Toni didn’t need to ask what Cheryl meant by back there. Sometimes Toni wished she did. Then it would mean the whole traumatic ordeal hadn’t affected Cheryl as much as it did. 

Toni blames herself sometimes. Why couldn’t she have found her faster? She knew she was missing and she knew something wasn’t right, so why did it take her 9 days to find her? She doesn’t think that is something that she will ever forgive herself for. 

“I’m sorry, babe.” Toni whispered, holding her close. “You’ll never be back there though. I’ll never let something like that happen to you again.” Toni promises, rocking Cheryl lightly to the side. 

“I know.” Cheryl said with a small smirk. She can’t help but enjoy when Toni gets protective over her. 

“I love you. I love you so much.” Toni said, kissing Cheryl’s forehead.

“I love you too, to the moon and back.” Cheryl giggled, pushing away Toni’s forehead kisses as they began to smother her face. 

“Do you wanna go raid the cookie stall and bail on this?” Toni asked, helping Cheryl stand up. 

“I couldn’t think of a better thing to do.” Cheryl laughed, taking Toni’s hand.


End file.
